Mr. J. No, Sir.
Father S. Have you been reared in any religion?
Mr. J. No, Sir.
Father S. Are you going with one of our Catholic girls?
Mr. J. No, Sir; at least not yet. But I am impressed by the age, the bigness of the Catholic Church, and by the religious unity among its people.
Father S. Well, that means that you are not prejudiced as many are.
Mr. J. I try, Sir, to have an open mind. Pardon me for forgetting to address you with your proper title. You know, I am not accustomed to addressing a priest.
Father S. That’s all right. Do you happen to know why Catholics call their priests “Father”?
Mr. J. No, I do not, although I heard a Catholic friend give a good answer to a non-Catholic, who contended that the priest had no right to that name.
Father S. What was the answer?
Mr. J. Well, the non-Catholic quoted Christ as saying: “Call no man ‘Father,’ ” and the Catholic answered: “What do you call your ‘Dad’?”
Father S. That was more than a clever comeback. Saint Paul furnishes the principal reason why the priest is called “Father”: “For in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, did I beget you” (1 Cor 4:15). The priest’s office is like that of Saint Paul — he is an instrument in God’s hands for the imparting of a new kind of life, a supernatural life, to the soul, just as the parent whom you call “Father,” was God’s instrument for giving natural life to you. God is the principal agent in both instances, and that is what Christ meant when He said: “One is your Father, who is in heaven” (Mt 23:9). The priest’s very purpose in life is to serve the spiritual needs of his parish, just as a father does the temporal needs of his family, and hence merits the title “Father.”
Mr. J. Father, since we have touched on this subject, would you mind giving the Church’s reasons for requiring her priests to remain single? Understand me: if I asked you why you are not married, you might tell me that it is “none of my business,” but I suppose it’s legitimate for me to ask why the great body of Catholic priests does not marry. Non-Catholics do not understand this requirement of your Church.
Father S. I shall gladly explain it. You will understand this demand of the Church better after you become familiar with the real nature of God’s Church and the office of the priest. He is more than a mere preacher of the gospel. He is dedicated to God by a special consecration; he may never be anything else; he regards himself as specially called by God from entanglements with the world and human ties. In the words of Saint Paul: “Every high priest taken from among men, is appointed for men in the things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Heb 5:1). He is ordained for men, and hence his time, his talents, his life should be at their disposal. To be free from all earthly ties is quite essential for wholehearted work in the cause of God. Saint Paul was not married. He obviously recommended that all ministers of the Gospel remain unmarried in order to devote themselves wholly to the work of God. In fact, he positively states this: “He who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please God. Whereas he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife” (1 Cor 7:32-33). There is no doubt that an unmarried clergyman who has no family ties, can imitate Christ more closely, can minister to people afflicted with contagious diseases better than a married one. He should be able to get along with less financial support.1
Mr. J. Those are strong arguments in favor of an unmarried clergy, and I fear that they are not weighed by most non-Catholics.
Father S. Some believe that it is impossible to live a chaste unmarried life. Catholics, who know the character and duties of the priesthood, heartily believe in a single life for the priest. The priest’s daily Mass and meditation, his other prayers, which take up over two hours’ time each day, should alone keep the priest close to God. The frequent “tippler” might find it difficult to let drink alone, but not the one who never tasted it. So it is with those who have always been single, but solemnly pledged to remain chaste.2
Mr. J. But so much literature represents the priest and nun as being anything but virtuous.
Father S. That is true, but it emanates either from professed enemies of the Catholic Church, or from men and women who find it financially profitable, on occasion, to attack the Catholic Church. Some years ago many self-styled ex-priests and ex-nuns toured parts of the country where Catholics are few. For instance, Maria Monk, Margaret Shepherd, Helen Jackson and Mabel McClish were never nuns, but rather had been wayward girls detained in reform schools conducted by Sisters, and who, when they were released, saw a chance to make a living by writing for and lecturing to that element which would believe any lie told about the Catholic Church. There have been priests who were untrue to their vow, just as there was a Judas among the twelve apostles, but they have been comparatively rare. Some present-day religions were started by ex-priests, who rejected their vows. You would not have any respect for the Catholic religion if it had such an origin.
You take this book and read over the first few lessons very carefully, then some night this week come back for your first instruction. On page 301 you will find certain prayers, some of which we should like to have you learn by heart. You need not commit them to memory at once, but read them every night as a night-prayer, and in a short time you will know them without much study.
It is important that you do some praying while taking instructions, because true faith is a gift of God3, which you must seek from Him by prayer. The Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed practically came from heaven. That is why we want Catholics to know them by heart. The Lord’s Prayer was composed and taught to His followers by Christ Himself; the first part of the Hail Mary contains the words which the angel, as a messenger of God, addressed to Mary; also the words spoken to her by her cousin Elizabeth, speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit; and the Apostles’ Creed is the most ancient Christian profession of faith, which contains a summary of the chief truths taught by Our Lord through His Church.4 Hence we cannot improve on these three prayers. In addition, we wish our people to know some form of an Act of Faith, Hope, Charity, and Contrition.
Mr. J. I note that to nearly all public prayers said by clergymen, the congregation answers “Amen.” What does that mean?
Father S. The word means “So be it,” and expresses approval of and firm belief in the prayer said. But even the one who prays privately usually closes with that word.5
Be sure to ask me any questions that occur to you during your instructions. We have nothing to hide and would not receive you into the Church unless you could assure us that you are thoroughly convinced.
Mr. J. Well, Father, I am certainly much obliged to you for the information you have given me tonight, and I am looking forward to my first instruction.
Father S. Can you come on Tuesday night?
Mr. J. Yes, that will suit me.
Father S. But pray while you study. I want God to become especially interested in you, just as you, prompted by His grace, are beginning to become interested in Him.
Mr. J. I promise to do that.
Instruction 1
The fundamentals of the Christian Faith
Mr. J. Good evening, Father Smith. Here I am ready for our first session.
Father S. Good evening. Take a chair. Have you done any praying for Divine assistance, as I suggested?
Mr. J. Yes, I have prayed in my own way for God’s direction,